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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Using Impero and Birger

david_winters said:
Works great. A little jumpy sometimes during a pull, but overall totally usable for my needs. I've been shooting Red with this lens and a manual FF for about 8 months prior to the Impero. The lens has very little breathing and no noticeable image jump when changing focus direction.

I have two national tv spots (US) running which were captured with this lens and a manual FF.
Click to expand...

So now that you have your Impero working, which one would you use for a national add. A manual FF or the Impero. Just Curious.

Thanks,
 
Not sure. Probably manual just because it's proven, low tech, and works. I have only had the Impero for a few days and haven't used it on a real job yet. Planning to put it to work for real this Friday - with the 24-70mm.
 
Thanks. I got one of those, and I am only worried about the lack of hard stops for manual. I am hoping Epic will have Red's Birger style Canon mount. Of course that may take a little bit, hopefully not. Then I might have an other reason to hold on to the zoom.
 
Erik Widding said:
The GPIO output needs to be set to "recording" and "active high".
Click to expand...

Thank you, Erik.

I had it set on "Low" after I watched Jay Kelly on "wonder how to ..."
 
Roberto Lequeux said:
I am only worried about the lack of hard stops for manual
Click to expand...

Yes. :001_tt2:

Seriously, in tons of hours of normal operation I've never hit the soft stops on the focus rings. It's just not how you end up operating with a manual FF. Impero, of course, eliminates the issue altogether.
 
Updated the first post to reflect recent updates. Please help correct anything incorrect there and add to the detail.

Thanks,
p
 
Impero seems stuck in Bootloader state, any suggestions ?

Impero seems stuck in Bootloader state, any suggestions ?

problem : Impero seems stuck in bootloader state
I've had the Birger / Impero working well for some time however now my problem is that the Impero seems stuck in bootloader state, ie the yellow led below and next to the record button is the only led on and the impero makes no attempt to connect to the mount.
I can update the impero firmware through the Mac BEI application
it uploads through the help>updates window, ie the green updating Impero firmware bar goes all the way to the end ( and a red led above the DIR button pulses ) however after this is stays in bootloader state, with the one led lit, even after disconnection from the mount and power cycling. Any suggestions. I've tried the impero restart with the I button held with no success.
The problem occurred spontaneously on a shoot.
Any suggestions on how to fix this appreciated.

Marcus

Turns out the Impero with firmware 1.5 or earlier can loose its firmware, preventing it from even starting up, if the batteries go flat, Erik suggested I return it to Birger, and they super promptly reloaded it with firmware 2.1 and returned it. Excellent service
 
Last edited:
Updated first post.

Please pm with any corrections to factual errors and/or info. that should be added to this post.

regards
p
 
How do you make the distance stops stick?

How do you make the distance stops stick?

I think I've finally gotten my Birger working pretty well. I have 2 questions.

1. How do you get the distance scale to stick after calibrating it in the BEI app? Mine defaults back to like 833' after a power cycle.

2. How can I tell my Impero Firmware version? and can someone clarify the firmware update process? Do I have the camera powered off while updating the impero?

Thanks!
 
bobbystone said:
I think I've finally gotten my Birger working pretty well. I have 2 questions.

1. How do you get the distance scale to stick after calibrating it in the BEI app? Mine defaults back to like 833' after a power cycle.

2. How can I tell my Impero Firmware version? and can someone clarify the firmware update process? Do I have the camera powered off while updating the impero?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
1. I haven't been able to get this to stick but every time I change lenses I just hit the CAL button for 2 secs to do a full calibration and reset the distance. I'm hoping that some time in the future the mount or Impero will remember the lens calibration....

2. Use the Birger Engineering Interface software and run Check For Updates. This will show all three parts (BEI, mount, Impero) and what version numbers they are, compared to latest versions online. Update each as necessary (I recommend BEI first, then mount, then Impero last). Camera needs to be powered and mount plugged in, otherwise you'll have no power to it ;)

HTH

Paul
 
Do not do this!

Do not do this!

Important info from Erik:

Erik Widding said:
The mount was not designed to be hot-plugged into the camera adapter. The instructions clearly state that the mount should be installed on the camera, and THEN powered. Do not do this in reverse. If one rotates the lens mount to find the orientation, while it is powered up, it can do damage to the electronics. This damage generally manifests as apparent random button pushing (lens homes, and or opens/closes the iris), or intermittent bluetooth connections. This failure mode is generally not seen until many days or weeks after the incident.

We know when this happens, as there are signatures. When the electronics are inspected under a microscope, and appear to have excellent solder joints, the contacts will look as they do in the attached picture, with diagonal stripes and/or the unit draws high current.

The handful of people that have done this by mistake have gotten a free repair. That ended today. A customer who did this multiple times, after being warned not to, was the first to get charged $300 for the repair.

It should be noted, that this is the first time in the ten year history of Birger that we charged for a repair, regardless of when the equipment was purchased. When the PL-mount comes out shortly, there will be more opportunities to make this mistake, and we want to make it very clear that this failure is not due to a manufacturing defect, and will no longer be treated as such.
Click to expand...
 
Help please.

Impero stopped working. Yesterday I updated the BEI app/mount to 1.1.10. Lens library 20d. Impero v2.1. Red Build 21 (beta). All worked, even lens data last night.

Today at shoot Impero only worked via wireless, and the camera would not roll. Reverted back to B20. Now Impero does not work in wired or wireless. When I try to FN+CAL or CAL I get several beeps then the ascending tone. Have re-installed all items above several times, new batts, no luck. Running release build 20.

Wired mode "Set Addr" also results in several beeps followed by ascending tone, which appears correct based on impero doc.

Wired or wireless the only control I have now is the rec button.

Suggestions?
 
Nano Clamp Question..

Nano Clamp Question..

Just received my nano mount from some online place. Is it supposed to include screws tyup eattachments that interface between the mount and the impero? My package only had the clamp itself.
 
My Nano Clamps did not come with any extra screws. I think you can just pick up a 1/4" screw at a hardware store. Maybe it would have to be double ended. I haven't mounted mine yet, perhaps someone else knows for sure.
 
Hard day on set yesterday.
My Impero wireless started drifting with all my 3 lenses 16-35II, 50 1,2 and 85 1,2.
Everything is upgraded to the last and everything was working well till yesterday.
Plugged is working fine.
Do i need to send lenses report? Impero report? Any tricks i'm not aware of?
 
Paolo Tinari said:
Hard day on set yesterday.
My Impero wireless started drifting with all my 3 lenses 16-35II, 50 1,2 and 85 1,2.
Everything is upgraded to the last and everything was working well till yesterday.
Plugged is working fine.
Do i need to send lenses report? Impero report? Any tricks i'm not aware of?
Click to expand...

Hello Paolo,

You might want to check this post by Erik from Birger concerning drifting on the Impero.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showpost.php?p=489319&postcount=6206

Brian Timmons
britim media
 
many thanks Brian, that was golden. All the informations are so scattered that it is easy to miss one.
So, seems my Impero lost its magnet alignement... i'll try to call Eric if it is the case to ship it back for repair.
 
Jamison Stark said:
My Nano Clamps did not come with any extra screws. I think you can just pick up a 1/4" screw at a hardware store. Maybe it would have to be double ended. I haven't mounted mine yet, perhaps someone else knows for sure.
Click to expand...

My Nano clamps (Manfrotto part number 386BC) all came with one double ended bolt (one end was 1/4"-20, the other 3/8"-16) to fit the boltholes on the clamp.
 
Hi all, have been trying to update the Impero firmware from v1.5 to v2.1 via ZTerm and the Birger mount. Two issues.

ZTerm seems to put all my commands and its replies on one line at the top of the window, overwriting the previous command or reply. Makes it difficult to see what's going on as a longer or multiline reply overwrites everything before, and short ones have the un-overwritten letters of the previous longer line still showing - don't know enough about Terminal use to know if this is a option preference I can change in the app.

Two, following the instructions in Birger's "Manually Updating Impero.pdf", I get to Step 8, and instead of "OK", I get an "Err12". I don't see "xe" as one of the commands in the Bootloader command list either - is there a typo?

"Err12" seems to be "XModem unlock code incorrect." Do I need to do an "xm" command - I used command "sn" to get a unlock code "0001-00117ger/viewfactor", do I have to enter all of that after the "xm" command?
 
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